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TOYOTA · vehicle model

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

1,100 NHTSA complaints and 27 safety recalls across model years 2005–2023.

Complaints
1,100
Recalls
27
Model years
19

The TOYOTAHIGHLANDER HYBRID appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 1,100 consumer safety complaints and 27 recall campaigns across 19 model years (2005–2023). That averages roughly 58 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 3 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
202310
20228
202116
20209
20199
20187
20177
20169
20155
20142
20136
201211
20115
201026
200955
2008272
2007160
2006481
20052

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 290 in 2017-2021 to 52 in 2022-2026, a fall of 82.1%. That is the 13th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

8
’06
1
’07
18
’08
21
’09
190
’10
125
’11
56
’12
115
’13
80
’14
73
’15
71
’16
91
’17
125
’18
61
’19
6
’20
7
’21
4
’22
7
’23
27
’24
13
’25
1
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare TOYOTAHIGHLANDER HYBRID to Similar Vehicles

TOYOTAHIGHLANDER HYBRID vs TOYOTACAMRY SOLARA → TOYOTAHIGHLANDER HYBRID vs TOYOTAYARIS → TOYOTAHIGHLANDER HYBRID vs CHEVROLETAVALANCHE 1500 → TOYOTAHIGHLANDER HYBRID vs MERCEDES-BENZML320 →

NHTSA Investigations

PE12002Preliminary EvaluationClosed2012-02-06

Power Window Master Switch Fire

PE11005Preliminary EvaluationClosed2011-02-15

Hybrid inverter failure - vehicle stall

PE06055Preliminary EvaluationClosed2006-11-21

SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID?▼
The TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID has received 1,100 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 2005 to 2023, with 27 recalls. That averages about 58 complaints per model year.
What years of TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID from 2005 to 2023 (19 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.